DelDOT and the City of Wilmington are exploring implementing a bike share system in the state’s largest city.
A website designed to provide information on the status of a feasibility study and to gather public input was launched Thursday.
Visitors can click on an interactive map to suggest potential locations for bike sharing stations, comment on any suggested stations, and “like” or “dislike” suggested stations.
Leah Kacanda is a planner for the city of Wilmington. She says quite a few people have already weighed in.
“There’s probably around 20 or so suggestions of where a good location for a bike share station would be,” she says. “You just click on the map and you can notate your suggestion as to why you think it's good, and then others users can vote on whether they think that’s a good location or not.”
Kacanda says bike share programs are great for quality of life and have proven popular in cities like Washington D.C and Philadelphia.
“Often when we travel we see them as a tourist but what we in Wilmington are really focused on is using bike share as a transportation alternative,” she says, “So instead of taking the bus, or walking or driving your car, we are looking at bikes as a viable means to get from point A to point B across Wilmington.”
The website, wilmingtonbikeshare.com will be live through the fall. The goal is to have a consultant’s report with recommendations and an appropriate business plan released by late winter or early spring.
Additionally, a public meeting on the bike share project will take place Sept. 21 at the Wilmington Public Library.